http://www.officer.com/article/article.jsp?id=26477&siteSection=1
Philly Killers Stick To Their Guns
The Associated Press
via Knight Ridder
ROBERT EDWARDS became a marked man after riding his bicycle down the wrong West Philly street.
Behind a KFC on Baltimore Avenue on Sept. 14, the 51-year-old stumbled upon the execution of alleged teen drug dealer Kevin Andrews.
The young gunmen - who allegedly killed Andrews over ownership of a drug corner - told Edwards not to snitch, according to homicide insiders.
But Edwards did the right thing.
And when the killers found out that he had talked with police, they dragged him into a back lot and shot him in the head, homicide sources said.
"I told you it would come to this," one of the thugs said.
Now a teddy bear memorial sits in the alleyway on Ellsworth Street near 57th, where Edwards' body was found. The two alleged killers - ages 17 and 23 - are behind bars.
"He seen too much and knew too much. And the young boys got him," a friend said.
This merciless killing of a harmless man who mowed neighborhood lawns is a tragic example of the city's rising tide of homicides.
With coldhearted drug dealers ruling the neighborhoods, guns available on every corner and residents too terrified to speak out, the number of bullets and bloodstains on Philly's streets climbs daily.
At the end of last week, Philadelphia's 2005 toll of homicides stood at 297 - 13 percent higher than the 263 killings logged during the same period last year. If we stay on pace, the year's body count could be the highest in five years.
The surge defies the trend in other parts of the country. New York and Baltimore have seen a dip in homicides this year compared with last, while Chicago has remained stable, according to police officials in those cities.
"Looking at overall trends, trends in most of the major cities are down and have stayed down," said Patrick Carr, assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers University. "We're running counter to the trend."
So why does Philly's death toll mount? And is there anything we can do about it?
Crime experts are quick to point out that homicides fluctuate in all big cities from year to year. And Philly's numbers are still nowhere near the 10-year high in 1995 of 431 homicides.
Still, experts blame the easy availability of guns as a significant factor in Philadelphia's bloodshed.
About 80 percent of Philadelphia's homicides are by gun - one of the nation's highest gun-homicide rates. The national average is about 70 percent, according to FBI crime statistics.
Experts say that Pennsylvania's lax gun laws mean that nearly anyone - even the most hardened criminals - can get his hands on a firearm.
"We have the most lenient gun laws in the entire nation," said Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson.
There's no waiting limit to purchase a gun, no permits necessary to own one and no limit to the number of pistols you can buy. It's easy for people to buy guns and pass them along to felons without any penalty.
It's not so easy in other cities. In New York state, for example, you need to get a permit and sit out the mandatory waiting period before you can buy a gun. Illinois also requires a permit and waiting period. And Maryland has a one-handgun-a-month restriction in addition to requiring permits and a waiting period.
"We need to somehow control the flow of weapons in the city of Philadelphia," Carr said. "There seems to be a real reticence to do that at the state level."
Edwards and Andrews both were killed by revolvers, a homicide insider said. Revolvers are popular street guns. Because revolvers hold six shots - fewer than most semiautomatic pistols - they require shooting skills. The gun culture considers them "man's guns," the homicide insider said.
Mantua activist C.B. Kimmins notes that residents should be aware of who has guns in their neighborhood.
"You all, as a community, have to get involved in looking around in your homes and in your street," he said. "Who has guns? Who uses these guns?"
Another challenge - exemplified by Edwards' slaying - is the difficulty in getting witnesses to come forward. People in many neighborhoods are scared to go to the police with information about crimes because they fear retaliation.
But Johnson stressed that if people don't step up, nothing will change.
"If you shoot one time, you'll shoot again," Johnson said. "Everybody knows who did it. They do tell, but they don't go to court."
Of course, Edwards never got the chance to go to court. He died a hero, trying to serve his neighborhood.
"He's a nice guy," Edwards' friend said. "He cut grass, he did chores. He's a very special person."
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TM
Philly Killers Stick To Their Guns
The Associated Press
via Knight Ridder
ROBERT EDWARDS became a marked man after riding his bicycle down the wrong West Philly street.
Behind a KFC on Baltimore Avenue on Sept. 14, the 51-year-old stumbled upon the execution of alleged teen drug dealer Kevin Andrews.
The young gunmen - who allegedly killed Andrews over ownership of a drug corner - told Edwards not to snitch, according to homicide insiders.
But Edwards did the right thing.
And when the killers found out that he had talked with police, they dragged him into a back lot and shot him in the head, homicide sources said.
"I told you it would come to this," one of the thugs said.
Now a teddy bear memorial sits in the alleyway on Ellsworth Street near 57th, where Edwards' body was found. The two alleged killers - ages 17 and 23 - are behind bars.
"He seen too much and knew too much. And the young boys got him," a friend said.
This merciless killing of a harmless man who mowed neighborhood lawns is a tragic example of the city's rising tide of homicides.
With coldhearted drug dealers ruling the neighborhoods, guns available on every corner and residents too terrified to speak out, the number of bullets and bloodstains on Philly's streets climbs daily.
At the end of last week, Philadelphia's 2005 toll of homicides stood at 297 - 13 percent higher than the 263 killings logged during the same period last year. If we stay on pace, the year's body count could be the highest in five years.
The surge defies the trend in other parts of the country. New York and Baltimore have seen a dip in homicides this year compared with last, while Chicago has remained stable, according to police officials in those cities.
"Looking at overall trends, trends in most of the major cities are down and have stayed down," said Patrick Carr, assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers University. "We're running counter to the trend."
So why does Philly's death toll mount? And is there anything we can do about it?
Crime experts are quick to point out that homicides fluctuate in all big cities from year to year. And Philly's numbers are still nowhere near the 10-year high in 1995 of 431 homicides.
Still, experts blame the easy availability of guns as a significant factor in Philadelphia's bloodshed.
About 80 percent of Philadelphia's homicides are by gun - one of the nation's highest gun-homicide rates. The national average is about 70 percent, according to FBI crime statistics.
Experts say that Pennsylvania's lax gun laws mean that nearly anyone - even the most hardened criminals - can get his hands on a firearm.
"We have the most lenient gun laws in the entire nation," said Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson.
There's no waiting limit to purchase a gun, no permits necessary to own one and no limit to the number of pistols you can buy. It's easy for people to buy guns and pass them along to felons without any penalty.
It's not so easy in other cities. In New York state, for example, you need to get a permit and sit out the mandatory waiting period before you can buy a gun. Illinois also requires a permit and waiting period. And Maryland has a one-handgun-a-month restriction in addition to requiring permits and a waiting period.
"We need to somehow control the flow of weapons in the city of Philadelphia," Carr said. "There seems to be a real reticence to do that at the state level."
Edwards and Andrews both were killed by revolvers, a homicide insider said. Revolvers are popular street guns. Because revolvers hold six shots - fewer than most semiautomatic pistols - they require shooting skills. The gun culture considers them "man's guns," the homicide insider said.
Mantua activist C.B. Kimmins notes that residents should be aware of who has guns in their neighborhood.
"You all, as a community, have to get involved in looking around in your homes and in your street," he said. "Who has guns? Who uses these guns?"
Another challenge - exemplified by Edwards' slaying - is the difficulty in getting witnesses to come forward. People in many neighborhoods are scared to go to the police with information about crimes because they fear retaliation.
But Johnson stressed that if people don't step up, nothing will change.
"If you shoot one time, you'll shoot again," Johnson said. "Everybody knows who did it. They do tell, but they don't go to court."
Of course, Edwards never got the chance to go to court. He died a hero, trying to serve his neighborhood.
"He's a nice guy," Edwards' friend said. "He cut grass, he did chores. He's a very special person."
For general site suggestions, inquiries, questions or comments, please e-mail us
[email protected]
=============
Looks like I don't need to practice my marksmanship, since I prefer pistols over wheelguns.
TM
